October 11, 2013

Top Pakistani Taliban Captured in Afghanistan

His name is Latif Mehsud and there's some disagreement over exactly how he was captured. Some sources claim he was captured by the Afghans, while others claim he was in Afghanistan as a guest of the Afghans working on negotiations when the US grabbed him:

Latif and three other Taliban fighters were captured last week while traveling in the Mohammad Agha district of Logar, the governor of the province told The Associated Press. He was being escorted by the NDS, which was taking him to a headquarters for talks, when a US military team halted the convoy, detained him, and then transferred him to the US-controlled section of Bagram prison, Aimal Faizi, a spokesman for President Hamid Karzai told The Washington Post.

The Pakistani Taliban confirmed that Latif was in custody, but claimed he was "seized by the Afghan army at the Ghulam Khan border crossing in the eastern province of Khost on Oct. 5," The Washington Post reported. The Pakistani Taliban and intelligence officials claimed he "was returning from a meeting to discuss swapping Afghan prisoners for money," according to the AP.

Either as a guest or a prisoner we did snatch him from the Afghans which has pissed off Karzai. To which I say who gives a crap what Karzai thinks anymore?